Cherished Liberty

On July 4, 1776, the document known to us Americans as the Declaration of Independence was approved by the colonies in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This document could not in and of itself secure the freedom of the Colonies from King George III and British rule, as it is only parchment and ink. But that document embodied the principles, concepts and spirit of the men that drafted it, signed it, upheld it and died to ensure its purpose was secured. What was that purpose? Was it only to rebel against a government to set up a new one or was it to define and solidify the principles set forth in the preamble? It proclaimed radically different moral ideals for mankind that had not been thought possible for centuries prior.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The last sentence of the Preamble sums up the logic behind the need for independence.

“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

The brave people that overthrew the British tyrant had long suffered injustice. They, like us, are human and do not seek conflict for its own sake but the situation they endured was grave. They faced a King that sought to remove rights that even the Magna Carta ensured. He refused to let the British Parliament and the colonies to make laws without his express permission. He neglected his subjects and actively made public assembly almost impossible. He dissolved the House of Representatives and restricted ownership of land. He fired judges at will and he alone would choose to pay them if they complied with his wishes. He set up new bureaucratic offices to tax the people and take their means to care for their families. He took control of the military so that Parliament would have no power over it. He forced families to house soldiers against their will, who often treated their hosts despicably. He set up mock trials to protect soldiers who killed innocent colonials. He eliminated trial by jury for the colonies and took people overseas for trial in unfamiliar places for imaginary charges. He cut off their trade with the world, imposed taxes not levied upon Great Britain, and took away charters. He suspended colonial legislatures. He stole from the colonies, burned their towns, murdered colonials, hired mercenaries against the colonies, and kidnapped people and forced them to fight against their own families.

Should such a tyrant arise in our country today, the people would be enraged at such grievous offenses on civil rights and human life. It is no wonder the colonies rebelled! And yet, there are nations today where such tyranny does exist and persist even though the people suffer. What made these men different from the peoples of other nations that fail to overthrow such an evil regime? Of what character were they that they were willing to sacrifice their property, their lives and even their families that freedom might be gained. Let us not forget that the British Army and Navy were the most powerful in the world at that time. What chance did they stand? Yet they chose to fight because they believed in the principle of freedom. They understood that one does not hold rights merely by existing but by fighting for them. Franklin D. Roosevelt was absolutely right when he stated, “In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.”

When the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” were written, these were not vague platitudes but very personal rights that a tyrant actively strove to take from them. Thomas Jefferson originally, and I think appropriately, penned that phrase as “life, liberty, and property” because that is exactly what was being taken from them: their homes, their land, their food, their money, their liberty, and their lives. That is what they stood to lose. If your life and the lives of your family are already threatened by the existence of a government, would it not be better to have the possibility of dying for the cause of liberty, knowing that your family and generations to come might enjoy it, than to have the possibility of dying in tyranny with no hope. Either way, death was a possibility and these men took heart in their principles and their God to overcome the enemy. The enemy was not King George. The enemy was and is tyranny.

Was it God’s choice that at that time in the course of humanity that this nation, not yet a nation, should rebel against its government? Did He approve of it? Did He simply utilize these men to accomplish something? Or did He merely allow it to happen? We cannot know His mind but with certainty we can know that the United States of America is here today by the will of God. The founders and first American patriots relied on God for strength and guidance. Some more than others but the overwhelming majority knew the importance of including God in their plans for this nation. As Jefferson put it, "…can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?" (Notes on the State of Virginia)

It was indeed a great struggle but worth the effort:

I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory; I can see that the end is more than worth all the means, and that posterity will triumph.

- John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

- Benjamin Franklin (attributed), at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

And many of the men who signed that document did hang or otherwise lose their lives. They gave their lives for liberty, for the principle of equality that no man should have dominion over another, and for the generations that followed them. That is us. We are the benefactors of their resolve and their rebellion; their courage and their brilliance.

Do we appreciate their gift to us? Or do we take it for granted that we are a people of rights, of liberties, and of justice? Are these only words on high school textbooks to us or are they resolved principles solidified in our identity as Americans? "My God!” Thomas Jefferson said, “How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" This is the time to recognize and cherish the blessing of freedom. This is the time to honor liberty and those that brought it into our lives.

Independence Day is not just the Fourth of July – not just the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. It is a day to honor the men and women that crafted our independence and literally achieved our freedom. It is a day to honor the principles of liberty and equality. It is a day to honor the lives of those who have given their all to protect these principles and this country, for without them, tyranny would have regained its cold grasp on our land. It is a day to remember our history and heritage. It is a day to renew your patriotism and principles. It is a day to build loyalty to your nation in your mind and in the minds of your children. It is a day to understand what your country is and what it means to all of mankind in the canvas of time.

"A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." ~~ George William Curtis

Have a happy and cherished Independence Day!